I met my future wife, Pam, at Andrews University my sophomore year. She was a freshman who caught my eye at the freshman orientation, which I helped plan and implement. Two weeks later I actually had the opportunity to meet her in the university cafeteria. We ate together and had a great conversation. From that moment until today, I have wanted to be with her. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the one I wanted to marry. So I asked her the big question, and the rest is history! We were married one year after meeting each other. And that was 36 years ago. And even to this day I can remember every occasion we have had to be apart. Fortunately for me, there have not been that many of them.

There were three times we had to be apart for anywhere from 1 week to 2 months the 7 years I was in the US Navy. There were 3 self-imposed ski trips with the guys I took to Colorado while living in Illinois over the course of 16 years. There have been 2 mission trips I have made since being a pastor. And then there was the summer before we were to be married in September 1975 that I worked in Indiana, which was a 3 hour drive to Andrews University (AU) where Pam was working. I would drive to AU, pick her up, and then the two of us would drive to her home in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This would be a total of 12 hours in the car every weekend. The first 3 alone  in great anticipation, the next 6 with her in utter bliss, and the last 3 alone again in despair wishing for the day we would never have to be separated.

Pam’s presence has brought joy to me for over 36 years. I am thankful for the day I first saw her. This is a day that changed  my world! The Christmas story is like that. Mary was presented with the news that she could have the very presence of God in her! She would be the keeper of God’s presence in her until it was time for Him to be revealed to the rest of the world. And then came the birth of Jesus, the very presence of God made manifest on this earth. That Presence was heralded by angels to anyone interested enough to listen. As it turns out, the only ones watching and listening to God that night, other than Mary, Joseph, and an innkeeper, were some shepherds and their sheep. But God’s Presence broke through the darkness of this world. His Presence was made available to us! To people! To you! To me!

So the question I ask myself is this, Do I want to be in His Presence? I get so caught up with presents at Christmas that I can forget about His Presence. Do I really want His Presence in me today? What will I do with the baby Jesus today? Will I hold Him, care for Him, love Him as if He were MY baby? The reality of Christmas is that He is my baby… If I will say yes like Mary did. What will you say to God about the Presence of Baby Jesus in your life today?